Tuscaloosa City Council Meeting - September 30, 2025
Tuscaloosa City Council Meeting - September 30, 2025
The Tuscaloosa City Council met on September 30, 2025, at approximately 8:00 PM CT to consider several agenda items, including a proposed vape tax, district fund disbursements, a firefighter grant, and a major proposal to create a Department of Public Safety. The meeting featured extensive debate on the public safety proposal, which was ultimately tabled for 30 days.
Discussion Items
- Vape Tax Ordinance (Old Business): Finance staff member Miss Standard presented an ordinance to create a municipal excise tax on consumable vapor products at 10 cents per milliliter, mirroring a recent state law (House Bill 529). The city could either participate in the state's distribution program or establish its own; staff recommended the latter so all revenue would come directly to Tuscaloosa. Miss Standard stated the revenue is currently expected to be negligible (likely under $10,000 per year) and was not budgeted for the upcoming fiscal year. Council members asked clarifying questions about administration and potential revenue. The committee voted unanimously to forward the ordinance to the full City Council.
- District Fund Disbursements (New Business):
- Councilman Phail proposed a disbursement from District 6 funds for Bryant High School girls' basketball and softball programs. Approved unanimously.
- Councilman Lanier proposed a disbursement from District 7 improvement funds for the Junior Cosmos Study Club, a mentoring and scholarship organization. Approved unanimously.
- 2024 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (New Business): Fire Chief Dilk presented a grant award of $241,000 with a required city match of just over $10,000 (already budgeted). The funds will be used for specialty team training, including sending personnel to Texas A&M and bringing instructors to Tuscaloosa, to meet roster requirements for deployments. Council members expressed support, noting the recruitment and morale benefits. Approved unanimously.
- Department of Public Safety Budget Amendment (New Business): Mayor Maddox proposed creating a Department of Public Safety with a dedicated executive director, citing the need for unified command at major events (75 days/year with over 50 events), improved E-911 integration, mental health crisis coordination, and enhanced drone and AI technology integration. The position would be cost-neutral via three funding sources: using ambulance franchise revenue (about $180,000/year, of which $120,000 is typically banked) to offset an EMS prevention coordinator and case manager, and eliminating two vacant positions (one auxiliary officer and one patrol officer). The total budget for the office is $359,652 ($259,652 salary/benefits/overtime, $100,000 for vehicle and equipment). The position would be exempt (PF8 pay grade, starting at $144,206.20, up to $203,758.59 at step 15), eligible for overtime. Council members debated the proposal extensively:
- Councilman Busby expressed strong reservations, arguing that the city's primary public safety challenge is a shortage of sworn officers (approximately 244 on payroll vs. an authorized strength of 290, with 20 funded positions unfilled). He stated he does not believe a new layer of bureaucracy will fix the problem, and noted the proposal affects roughly 40% of the general fund and personnel. He questioned the overtime eligibility and requested additional information on comparable positions in Mobile.
- Councilman Lanier (or a council member) noted the council has consistently supported public safety measures and emphasized the need for careful consideration before creating a position that would be hard to dismantle.
- Councilman W (likely Walters) expressed strong support, citing recent violent incidents (e.g., the assassination of Charlie Kirk) and the need to be proactive in a more dangerous world. He stated, "If having this position will keep one of you safe... I have to support it."
- Another council member (possibly Phail) also expressed support, saying the city needs someone who "eats, sleeps, and breathes public safety" and that it is better to have the position and not need it.
- Mayor Maddox defended the proposal, arguing that a public safety director would ensure clear command and control during emergencies when the mayor or chief is unavailable, and that the city's chain of command has previously been disrupted. He referenced a weekend incident in Oklahoma City and stressed that the world is more dangerous.
- Councilman Busby moved to table the item for 30 days to allow further research and community input. The motion was seconded and passed (voice vote).
Key Outcomes
- Vape Tax Ordinance: Approved in committee and forwarded to the full City Council.
- District 6 Disbursement (Bryant High School): Approved.
- District 7 Disbursement (Junior Cosmos Study Club): Approved.
- 2024 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Agreement: Approved.
- Department of Public Safety Budget Amendment: Tabled for 30 days (motion passed by voice vote). The meeting was then adjourned.
Meeting Transcript
Aye, okay. Minutes are adopted. Item number one under old business, Miss Standard, authorizing an ordinance amending chapter seven of the code of Tuscaloosa. This would be better known as the vape tax. Yes, sir. Um this is so we asked for this in conjunction with the 2026 fiscal year budget. Um this is a new form of taxation on what they call consumerable vapor products. Um this last uh legislative session, the state of Alabama through House Bill 529 created what they call a tax an excise tax on consumer consumable vapor products that are sold at wholesale within the state. Their taxation uh rate is at 10 cents per milliliter, and then also within that same state act, they allow any um municipality to also mirror their uh law setup, their taxation setup. You can either do one of two things, um, a part of the state's uh revenue that they collect via this excise tax will be set aside for um distribution to municipalities that do opt in by uh population distribution, same thing kind of like as SSUT that we've been talking about, or you can set up your own program. Um we are proposing to set up our own program instead of operating in the state's program, um, just because who knows what's going to happen with this type of product into the future, if this would be possibly a more lucrative area for the city of Tuscaloosa specifically to operate in. Um we are just mirroring the exact setup that the state has, and then we have to adopt this by tonight in order for it to be able to continue on into the future. Um this is the deadline, otherwise we have to operate in the state's vein. Okay, so I'm I'm not clear on why we would do something separate from the state. If if the ours is gonna mirror what the state says, what's the what's the advantage and what's involved in us setting up the administration of our own? So the revenue would come to us only. Um so this the states when the state taxes the vapor product, it'll be a 10 cents per milliliter. 50 percent will go to the state's general fund, 25 percent will go to counties, 25% will go to municipalities. No, each bucket will be distributed by population, and so we can now create our own at 10 cents per milliliter, and it all comes directly to us. Okay, members, questions, comments? How much non-members can I ask a crazy question? I I know what vaping is, I've seen it, dealt with it in the family, but 10 milliliters. Talk to me a little bit about if I go in and buy vape. Is that like a typical vape? You are asking the wrong person. I have never seen a vape product beside somebody in a car beside me. I have no idea how much 10 how much a milliliter is. Do we I mean what kind of revenue are we talking about from vape? Currently, from what from current, so also within the same exact state act that was passed via the legislature, a lot of products were were considered now illegal. So a lot of products had to be taken off the shelves. Um, and so this is gonna apply to a much smaller population of types of products since the rest are going to be considered illegal. Um and so really the revenue off of this currently will be negligible. We didn't even budget it in the upcoming fiscal year budget. This is really just kind of creating a program just in case it were to become something different down the line. Okay. I if we got more if we got more than five figures, like if we got more than 10,000 dollars, I'd be surprised. Okay. Okay, sorry, got a motion question. There who's we got a motion. I'll make a motion. Second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Okay. Thank you. Vape tax is forwarded to council. Stump tax doctors. New business. Uh Councilman Phail, approval of disbursement from District 6. Funds for Bryant High School Girls Athletics, two grade.
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